Sheikh, Grand Mufti of the Kingdom and Chairman of the Board of Senior Ulema and Religious Research and Ifta Administration, says that some Ramadan television programs promote vice and immorality to attract more viewers and are not conducive to the growth of spirituality, Al-Madina Arabic newspaper reported Monday. “A Muslim who is fasting should have self-control and should not lose it when someone curses him nor should he respond to any type of provocation, rather, he should comply with the Prophet's advice and say ‘O Allah! I'm fasting'.” Some Muslims use Ramadan as a pretext to avoid or neglect work responsibilities. They do not show up on time or put off the handling of the paperwork of Muslims until Ramadan ends. Ramadan is a month of work and energy not of laziness and sluggishness. “Ramadan is not a month of gluttony and extravagance, rather, it is a month when we should eat less and pray more, it is a time when we should control our desires. We should get used to refraining from eating, having sex and all other desires.” The Grand Mufti said that the spread of such negative phenomena in Ramadan can be attributed to the lack of public awareness. He called on all Muslim scholars to educate the public about improper television programs and decadent soap operas that openly display vice and immorality to attract more viewers. Speaking about the increase in beggars during Ramadan, the Grand Mufti said beggars cannot buy food with the money they received because it is not halal since they get the food by lying to the public.
